Learning style preferences of Australian accelerated postgraduate pre-registration nursing students: A cross-sectional survey

• Published in: Nurse education in practice 2018-01, Vol.28, p.280-284
• Main Authors: McKenna, Lisa, Copnell, Beverley, Butler, Ashleigh E., Lau, Rosalind
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic staff; Accelerated education; Adult; Australia; Cognitive style; College students; Cross-Sectional Studies; Education, Nursing, Graduate; Educational Environment; Experiential learning; Female; Graduate students; Humans; Kolb Learning Style Inventory; Learning; Learning styles; Male; Master of Nursing Practice students; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Nursing; Nursing education; Nursing Students; Preferences; Problem-Based Learning - methods; Professional practice; Social interaction; Students; Students, Nursing - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching; Teaching methods; VARK model
• ISSN: 1471-5953; 1873-5223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2017.10.011

Graduate entry programs leading to registration are gaining momentum in nursing. These programs attract student cohorts with professional, cultural, gender and age diversity. As a consequence of this diversity, such accelerated programs challenge traditional pedagogical methods used in nursing and require different approaches. To date, however, there has been limited research on the learning styles of students undertaking these programs to inform academics involved in their delivery. Kolb's Experiential Learning model has been used widely in a variety of educational settings because it is based on the theory of experiential learning. More recently VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/write and Kinaesthetic) model has become popular. The aim of this study was to investigate the learning styles of two cohorts of graduate entry nursing students undertaking an accelerated masters-level program. This was a cross-sectional survey of two cohorts of Master of Nursing Practice students enrolled at a large Australian university. The students were more inclined toward converging (practical) and least toward concrete experience (experiencing) learning styles. The majority of students were more inclined toward kinaesthetic and least toward aural learning style. Findings have implications for academics engaged in teaching graduate entry nursing students. •Master of Nursing Practice (MNP) students were more inclined toward converging and accommodating learning styles.•MNP students were least inclined toward diverging learning styles.•MNP students preferred kinaesthetic and read/write learning styles.•MNP students were least inclined toward aural and visual learning styles.•Nursing educators need to consider the learning styles of MNP nursing students to optimise student learning.